


You Know What They Say

by fairyScorpicus



Series: What'd Ya Do Continues [2]
Category: X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: After, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Dadneto who STAYS AT HOME, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Erik is a Good Dad, Gen, Hurt Pietro Maximoff, Hurt/Comfort, Jean who experiences LESS ANGST, Mind Control Aftermath & Recovery, Past Brainwashing, Past Violence, Pietro Maximoff Feels, Pietro Maximoff Goes by Peter, Trauma, Trauma Peter, X-Men: Dark Phoenix (Movie) Spoilers, but i rewrite it with my dudes, but still more ansgt b/c peter, dadneto, inspired by a comment, less angst than movie, more or less, not a team member, peter kills someone
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:47:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23741032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fairyScorpicus/pseuds/fairyScorpicus
Summary: What'd Ya Do Sequel, feat.Dadneto, Genosha who? Dark Phoenix, oof ouch Peter is STILL not over Stryker/brainwash/trama 2000,This is not a perfect happy ending. But it can be.
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr & Pietro Maximoff
Series: What'd Ya Do Continues [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1710106
Comments: 31
Kudos: 120





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> anniex said, (with slight rewording): I was wondering about any residual effects peter might have from the brainwashing? Peter eventually got reluctant to kill, but does he ever have a moment with the Xmen on a mission where he just has no hesitation? The person is there and alive, and then the person is dead and bleeding and peter is standing right above the body before anyone else.
> 
> Well I wrote a fic in response.
> 
> We're starting out dark but the only place we can go is up.

Peter gets home, but it's not what you'd call a perfect happy ending.

He's happy, of course. He's with his dad, and Charles, and his friends, but that doesn't mean he doesn't wake up from nightmares in the middle of the night to find himself in the kitchen.

It was like sleepwalking, except he remembers getting up.

Charles helps checks his mind, and Hank does a physical, of course, and Erik hovers anxiously. But it wasn't residual brainwashing so much as All His Memories Were Gone So He Developed New Muscle Memory And Instincts.

"It seems to be triggered by the nightmares," Hank says, sitting back. Erik places his hand on Peter's shoulder. Hanks continues talking, taking the stethoscope off, as if he could hear Peter's heartbeat when it goes that fast, _why does he even bother-_

"I only have it happen when I have nightmares about Stryker," Peter agrees, and Erik digs his fingers into his shoulder a little more. Peter allows it. He no longer knows if the hand on his shoulder is for his own comfort, or Erik's.

They thought he was fine, or as fine as he could be.

He thought so too.

The first time he did it, it freaked the other X-Men out.

They were on a mission, taking down another mutant who sought to fight for mutant-kind in a very Magneto-esque way. The mutant was powerful, with telepathic powers. Charles and Jean were struggling to take him down, but everyone was confident that if they could fly Jean on the X-Jet back to the mansion, Jean on Cerebro would defeat the mutant easily.

Everyone else was focused on delaying the mutant, which should have been easy, seeing as the mutant's only powers were telepathy and the mutant had no backup other than another mutant with superstrength.

The jet was two minutes out from the mansion when it happened.

The telepathic mutant must've gotten the upper hand in the fight for just a second, a millisecond that passed too fast for the other X-Men to realize they were in danger. He had barely started moving a hand to attack Scott, _because Scott always had to be in the front of the battle- "I'm the leader!" he had protested more than once_ -

That one moment was all that was needed for Peter to realize the mutant had the upper hand, and then he just stepped in to fight.

But, Peter doesn't need to train in the Danger Room, he's already older than Scott, Jean, and Kurt, so this was the first time he fought since he was brainwashed.

Peter steps into the battle, and he slips into superspeed, and he goes to take down the mutant-

and the next thing anyone knows, even Peter, the man is dead. Just like that.

Peter didn't care the moment he noticed that man was dead. He stood over him, still in a haze.

His mind barked out orders, telling him to _collect the dead body and bring it back to Stryker for experiments, please Stryker, let him learn more about telepathic mutants since he can't get his hands on Xavier-_

He heard Scott breathe quietly, "Shit." and Peter looked up.

It took him a moment. More mutants? A threat? One terrifying moment that passed too quickly for the others to know it happened. He didn't recognize them. Then his brain snapped back to place.

He blinked. He looked down at the body.

"Oh my god," he wheezed and darted off to throw up into a bush.

Kurt teleported back to the mansion immediately.

It took fifteen more minutes for the X Jet to return.

He wouldn't talk to anyone on the ride back. The moment the jet landed, he rushed off straight to his room, where Erik knocked on his door less than thirty minutes later.

Erik understands the need to be alone, that want to isolate, Erik also knows that's probably the worst thing he could do. So when he knocks, and there's no response, Erik opens the door and enters anyways, and just holds his son close.

Maybe he would whisper stories of times he's killed people. Maybe he would sit silently until Peter finally talks. There would be some tears, some hugs, some silences, and Erik would end the conversation with sweet platitudes that Peter needs to hear so desperately, even if his subconscious still screams that it is his fault. And then he'd drag Peter down for dinner (is it that time already? how long had they sat there, together, unaware of Charles checking up on them halfway through)

It's unspoken that Peter needs to train first before he can go out on missions again.

The next time he's in the Danger Room, it's just him and the bots. No people. And he doesn't blame them.

After all, this is not a perfect, happy ending.


	2. Chapter 2

Erik was surprised that life did not change. He had his son, and yes, his son was different, but their interactions stayed the same. Probably because they both knew the other one was related to them and the revelation of knowing the other one knew just didn't change their interactions. Much.

Except.

Peter started calling him dad.

And Peter had a right to! Erik wasn't complaining, except...

Peter was his only kid that hadn't called him dad before, and Peter was his only kid that as still alive. And Erik knew he was overthinking this, over-worrying, being silly, irrational, but...

Well. It didn't stop him from thinking of his daughters every time.

_Are you going to be taken away from me, Papa?_

_Never._

Erik woke from his nightmare, trembling and heaving for breath. Charles laid half-asleep next to him, his cool hand on Erik's forehead.

"Stop that," he mumbled, and rolled onto his side, back facing Erik. His hand slipped off Erik's face.

Erik wondered why Charles always woke him up hen he was having a nightmare, instead of sending him into a peaceful dream like he did with the children.

 _Perhaps,_ Erik thought, slipping out of the room, _Charles knows him too well._

It was still dark outside, and the sky was clear enough for the round moon to illuminate the halls through the windows. While the faint light was helpful, the path to Peter's room was memorized.

He opened the door slowly, and lurked in the doorway as his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

It took him a second to realize Peter was not in his room.

 _Of course Charles woke me up instead of sending me back to sleep,_ Erik thought crossly, heart pounding, moving as quietly and at quickly as possible down to the main kitchen. _He had to make me panic at shit o'clock in the morning._

Peter was sitting down at the table. Of course. Erik sighed quietly in relief and entered the room.

Peter glanced up at him, face blank, and Erik felt sad. 

It was one of those nights.

Without a word, he gently pulled on his son's arm and tugged him back up the stairs down the hallway, and back to Peter's room. He tucked him in and brushed his hair back with his hand. Idly, he wondered what his son had dreamed about, but he knew Peter would tell him when he was ready. He ran his fingers through Peter's hair again. Peter offered no resistance, no acknowledgment, and even though Erik knew that his son would not get up again until morning or remember this, he found himself reluctant to leave.

With a soft sigh, he loosely held out his hand and grabbed a comfortable chair with his powers. Floating it up to Peter's room, he sat in the chair and positioned it he could sleep next to his son.

As he watched his son fall asleep once more, Erik found himself frustrated. He knew the healing process would take time, but he couldn't shake the feeling that none of this would have ever happened if he weren't Peter's father.

Drowning in guilt, he finally drifted off once more.

Peter was gracious enough to not question why his dad was sleeping in his room when he woke up in the morning.

"Good morning, dad," he greeted, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

Erik breathed out slowly, blowing away the memories of his sweet, little, dead girls.

"Good morning," he replied. "Charles is making me make waffles this morning." He stood up and stretched, hearing his back crack. Peter was out of bed in an instant.

"Waffles! My favorite!" and his son sped out of the room.

"I know," Erik said fondly to the empty room. "I know."

It was surprising how much life had changed, and yet not at all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I try to remember US government stuff and Peter watches Raven and Charles fight

Like was going good. Charles and Erik got into politics. Like, really into politics. Somehow his own father, a former terrorist, was now convincing the United States to give mutants an island to live peacefully on, without fear of human fear. His dad was constantly visiting the island, which he lovingly called Genosha. Peter had been dragged along on one of the visits, but to him, it was just a small island full of rocks and trees and stuff. He didn't see the appeal.

"But its so much more than that," his father insisted. "It's the potential. A city, for mutants to live freely without oppression."

"Okay," Peter said. "But there's no buildings."

"There will be," Erik gazed at an open field with his crazy shark grin. "There will be."

Peter hadn't visited Genosha in the past few weeks, but his father went nearly every other week. He was helping to build said buildings, Peter guessed.

Except life couldn't stay perfect at the Xavier mansion, now could it?

Peter watched nervously from around the corner as Raven and Charles got into another screaming match. Again. For the fifth time this month. And they were only two weeks in.

"Stop kissing federal ass and start helping out mutants!" Raven shouted, and Peter idly wondered why they were shouting in the living room, instead of somewhere more private, like Charles' office, so that Peter could get by to the kitchen without being noticed.

"I don't have enough support yet!" Charles countered. "Any act for mutant rights that I try to force on them now will be completely rejected in the House of Representatives!"

"Why can't you even suggest the idea yet? What's the point of having the president's personal number if you can't use it?"

"Because the president can't do anything until after its approved by Congress!"

"So what's the point?"

"The point is publicity! We can get the public on our side, so that they can influence their representatives to vote for mutant rights!"

"We're never going to be liked by humans!"

"The democrats like us!"

"The Democrats like us!" Raven mocked. 

"You know," she said. "Sometimes I think you're just doing this for the attention. You don't even care, do you? You can just pass off for human, so why bother?"

"You can too," Charles pointed out.

"But then who would stand up for the mutants who can't?!" Peter decided to give Operation Eat Some Twinkies and turned around to do so, only to catch one of the younger students lurking down the hallway, also spying on Charles and Raven.

"Hey," he soothed. "It's alright."

"I don't understand." The young child said. "Isn't Charles doing his best?" Peter hesitated. He didn't actually know.

"I'm sure he is," he said anyways, and the child scowled.

"You don't know!" he shouted, and Peter shushed him.

"We're not supposed to listen to them argue," he whispered. "It'll upset them."

The child nodded thoughtfully. "I don't want to upset Raven," they concluded. "She's cool." They turned and tottered off to their room.

"Wait, what about Charles?" he asked, but they didn't reply. 

Peter sighed. He wished his father were here, instead of away. Why couldn't Charles do anything, if Erik had been able to get Genosha? Did Erik even know what Charles was doing, or not doing?

But there was nothing to do but sit and wait for Erik to come home. He sat in his room and turned on the TV.

"Oh, cool," he said out loud to no one. "A rocket will launch into space tomorrow. Jubilee loves space, I should tell her about that."

**Author's Note:**

> Me: picking up Magneto like you pick up the tiny person on google maps and their body just sort of sway and you move the pointer around
> 
> Me: places magneto in x mansion
> 
> Me in the voice from The History Of Japan, to the style of 'Open The Borders. Stop. Having It. Be Closed.': Stay In The House. Stop. Running. Away.
> 
> Magneto: what


End file.
